


Burnout

by Onehelluvapilot



Series: Tumblr prompt fics [49]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Lancelot makes sure he gets both, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Merlin needs a vacation, Protective Lancelot (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot
Summary: Merlin doesn't show up with Arthur to practice, and Lancelot immediately realizes something is wrong. He finds the warlock suffering from a breakdown from burnout.
Relationships: Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)
Series: Tumblr prompt fics [49]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922554
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	Burnout

When Arthur complained about Merlin not having showed up in the morning, Lancelot immediately snuck away from training to go find him. Well, snuck away might have been the wrong word for it. He actually just straight up walked off, breaking into a jog as he crossed the field, and counted on Gwaine to cover for him. The other knight was just as protective of Merlin as he was, and would understand his sudden retreat.

Lance found him in his room, sitting up in bed but huddled under the blanket. He sat down beside him, lowering himself to the mattress slowly so as not to shake the bed too much. “Hey,” he said gently. “Are you okay?” He always asked, even though he knew what the answer would be and that it would be a lie.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” the servant insisted.

“Yeah, that’s why Arthur’s hair is uncombed and his armor was put on wrong,” Lancelot teased.

“Maybe I just didn’t want to deal with him today,” Merlin protested. Lance reached over and put a hand against his cheek before moving it down to extract one of his hands from under the blanket.

“You’re shaking, I can see it,” he said gently. “It’s okay.” His friend just janked his hand back, hiding it again under the blanket.

“I’m fine,” he repeated. “It’s nothing.”

“Merls… Please don’t lie to me, okay? Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I said it’s nothing. Nothing happened. Yet.”

“Yet?”

“There’s always something,” the warlock cried, and Lancelot immediately scooted closer and pulled him against his chest. He knew Merlin did not have an easy life, fighting off numerous threats to Arthur’s life on a nearly daily basis, and it had been worse when Lance was gone and he didn’t have anyone to share in the responsibility or the secret. It was completely understandable that he might break down worrying about the next time. And sadly, it was also typical of him that he wouldn’t feel like that was a valid reason to not be okay, since nothing bad had happened that day. Merlin was so warped by responsibility and destiny sometimes that he forgot he was just a young man.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Lancelot reassured him, returning the hug when skinny arms wrapped around him. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He rubbed a hand over Merlin’s back, feeling the tautness of the muscles. “You’re gonna get through this, and then Gwaine and I are going to make Arthur give you a vacation.”

“What? No, you can’t, I couldn’t-” Merlin stuttered.

“You can and you will. You need some time where you’re not worrying about him. A week in Ealdor will do wonders for your peace of mind.”

“But I need to be here to protect him,” the servant continued to protest.

“The knights and I can handle that, and George can be his servant.”

“But-”

“No buts, Merlin. It’s time you started taking as good of care of yourself as you do of Arthur.” The warlock pulled back from Lancelot’s grasp to just stare at his friend, seemingly dumbfounded. “And then when you get back, we’re going to have a serious discussion about all this destiny crap. I think I might want to have a talk with that dragon ‘friend’ of yours too.”

“I… that does actually sound interesting to watch,” Merlin agreed, drying his eyes with the corner of the blanket he was still wrapped in.

“So you agree? You’ll start packing for a vacation?”

“...okay, yeah.”

“Good.” Lancelot was deeply relieved that his friend would be taking some time off, and when he was ready, he was actually really looking forward to shouting at the overgrown prothetic lizard that had given Merlin anxiety. Nobody messed with his friends like that and got away with it.


End file.
